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Thursday, 24 November 2016

Displaced: Chapter Three

Alright! So, remember when I said I'd post a chapter a week? Yeah, I definitely crapped the bed last week. I'm blaming it on the flu that ravaged out household. Anyhow, here you have it. Chapter Three!!

Chapter Three

“How’s your breakfast?”
Neeka refilled their coffee cups.

“Excellent, thank you.”
He took another bite of his omelet to prove he wasn’t lying. He wasn’t sure what kind of eggs had been
used, but they were delicious.

She smiled and sat once again.
“Once we’re done here I’ll show you to your room and you can get cleaned
up. I’ll have head to the stables. It’s my turn to clean the stalls.”

“I’ll come give you a hand.”

She shook her head. “I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“Of course you could.
It’s the least I can do to thank you for the food and room.”

Neeka mulled the offer over for a moment before nodding. “Alright.
Thank you.”

He grinned. “It’s my
pleasure.”

Though there was nothing more he wanted than to go home, he
knew that simply running out into the woods wasn’t going to help with his
situation. Even if he made the trip to
the coast, there was no way he could afford to buy passage on one of the Gysps’
trading ships. He needed information
.

“You’d better hurry getting to your chores, Neeka.” Hanna scooped up their empty plates. “Brian will be back from the market soon.”

Her sister nodded.
“We’re just heading there now.”

Kendall thanked Hanna for taking the dishes before following
Neeka out to the stables. She handed him
a shovel and pointed to the first stall.

“We tie the horses inside and clean around them. We’ve had a few instances where a horse
managed to get loose when they were tied outside. Personally, I think someone let them go, but
Brian doesn’t believe me.”

He frowned. “This Brian,
he’s what to you?”

“My guardian.” She moved
to the end of the aisle and came back pushing a cart before entering the stall
across from his. “He’s been raising us
since before I can remember.”

Kendall tied a tall bay mare before getting to work on his
stall. “So, you’ve lived in this town
all your life?”

She nodded. “As far as I
know.” Done her first stall, she moved
on to the next. “It’s not the most
exciting town, but most of the folks that live here are decent. There are a few who like to cause trouble,
but never anything major. It’s mostly
outsiders that will do the most damage when they come through town.” She grinned.
“You’re not going to cause any trouble, are you?”

He laughed. “You’ve my
word, I’ll behave.”

“Neeka, when you’re done here I want you to…” The newcomer stopped short at the sight of
Kendall.

The shifter tightened his grip on the shovel should he need to
use it as a weapon. The man, shorter
than him by at least a head, though thicker in build, widened his stance.

“Brian, this is Kendall.
Kendall, Brian.” Neeka deftly
stepped between the two men. “Hanna and
I came upon Kendall while we out gathering vegetables. He’s been robbed and wasn’t sure where he
was. We made him something to eat and he
offered to help muck stalls as payment.”

Brian grunted. “Well,
when you’re done here, maybe he could give you a hand in room twelve. The bastards destroyed it last night.” Without giving them another glance, he turned
on his heels and left.

Kendall let himself relax.
“Friendly fellow,” he mumbled.

“Don’t mind him. He’s in
a foul mood because of the mess the soldiers left the inn in last night. Room twelve was one of theirs.”

They went back to cleaning the stalls, though this time with
less talking. Once done, Kendall pushed
the cart back where it would sit until the next day.

“Thank you.” Neeka smiled
and led the way back to the inn.

They stopped at the kitchen and helped themselves to water.

“That was quick,” remarked Hanna. She wiped a forearm across her brow before
returning her attention back to the bread dough she’d been kneading.

“It’s going to be a busy day.
Brian wants Kendall and I to take care of room twelve.”

Hanna grunted. “You’ll
be there until tomorrow if you don’t get to it.
I was in there this morning and it I don’t think there’s one piece of
furniture that can be saved.”

Neeka shook her head in disgust. “Soldiers.”

“Maybe once you’re mated to Christopher you could have a chat
with him about his little army’s manners.”

Neeka scoffed. “Not
likely. I plan on spending as little
time as possible in the man’s company.”
She gave Kendall’s arm a tug to let him know they were leaving.

Kendall glanced at her as they made their way down the
hall. “Your intended runs the soldiers?”

She rolled her eyes. “He
likes to think he does. We call them
soldiers, but really their just goons with sharp weapons. Christopher put them together to hunt for
shifters.”

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Wife, mother, author. That pretty much sums it up. :) I am a fantasy author who loves to spend time in made up worlds filled with magic. I am a firm believer that no hero is perfect and that all villains are burdened with a tiny shred of humanity. While I write my Adult and YA novels under the name Mireille Chester.